BOOK 23 OF 66 · MAJOR PROPHETS · KING JAMES BIBLE

Isaiah 36

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Isaiah 36 Overview

The book shifts into history as Sennacherib’s Rabshakeh confronts Jerusalem, mocks Hezekiah’s trust, belittles Egypt, twists theological claims, and urges the people to surrender rather than believe the LORD will deliver.

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36Chapter

22Verses

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Before you read Isaiah 36

Coming from

The wilderness blossoms, weak hands and fearful hearts are strengthened, blind eyes and deaf ears are opened, and a holy highway carries the redeemed to Zion with everlasting joy.

In this chapter

Leads into

Hezekiah responds to Assyria’s threats with mourning, prayer, and appeal to Isaiah; the LORD answers, Sennacherib blasphemes again, Hezekiah spreads the letter before God, and the Assyrian army is struck in a dramatic deliverance.

Key understandingExplore deeper

Chapters 36–39 closely parallel 2 Kings 18–20. They form a historical hinge between the earlier Assyrian-focused prophecies and the later Babylon/exile-and-restoration horizon.

The interpretive center of Isaiah 36 is the chapter’s own movement: faith is tested by persuasive intimidation. Read its poetry, signs, historical references, and later biblical connections from that center rather than treating isolated phrases as detached slogans.

Major truths in this chapterExplore deeper

Faith is tested by persuasive intimidation

Rabshakeh uses political realism, ridicule, half-truths, and theological manipulation to undermine trust.

The enemy can misuse true ideas

Assyria really had been used by God, but the Rabshakeh wrongly assumes this guarantees Jerusalem’s destruction.

Disciplined silence can be wise

Hezekiah’s representatives obey the command not to answer the public taunts.

Connections to the rest of ScriptureExplore deeper

2 Kings 18:13-37

Kings preserves the parallel account with additional historical context.

2 Chronicles 32

Chronicles also records Sennacherib’s invasion and Hezekiah’s response.

Isaiah 10:5-19

Earlier Isaiah already explained that Assyria was God’s rod but would itself be judged for arrogance.

What is clear, and where care is neededExplore deeper

Do not accept the Rabshakeh as a reliable theologian simply because some of his facts are accurate.

His speech is propaganda designed to redefine trust in the LORD as foolishness.

Do not confuse Hezekiah’s removal of high places with hostility to true worship.

Centralizing worship in Jerusalem was consistent with the Mosaic law, despite the Rabshakeh’s mockery.

Read Isaiah 36 watching for…

the Rabshakeh’s psychological tactics

his attack on trust

his misuse of religious claims

his appeal directly to the people

the leaders’ commanded silence

Chapter outline2 sections

1-10Sennacherib invades Judah, and Rabshakeh challenges Hezekiah’s trust in the LORD 11-22Rabshakeh speaks to the people and boasts that no god can deliver Jerusalem

Now it came to pass in the fourteenth year of king Hezekiah, that Sennacherib king of Assyria came up against all the defenced cities of Judah, and took them.

And the king of Assyria sent Rabshakeh from Lachish to Jerusalem unto king Hezekiah with a great army. And he stood by the conduit of the upper pool in the highway of the fuller's field.

Then came forth unto him Eliakim, Hilkiah's son, which was over the house, and Shebna the scribe, and Joah, Asaph's son, the recorder.

And Rabshakeh said unto them, Say ye now to Hezekiah, Thus saith the great king, the king of Assyria, What confidence is this wherein thou trustest?

I say, sayest thou, (but they are but vain words) I have counsel and strength for war: now on whom dost thou trust, that thou rebellest against me?

Lo, thou trustest in the staff of this broken reed, on Egypt; whereon if a man lean, it will go into his hand, and pierce it: so is Pharaoh king of Egypt to all that trust in him.

But if thou say to me, We trust in the LORD our God: is it not he, whose high places and whose altars Hezekiah hath taken away, and said to Judah and to Jerusalem, Ye shall worship before this altar?

Now therefore give pledges, I pray thee, to my master the king of Assyria, and I will give thee two thousand horses, if thou be able on thy part to set riders upon them.

How then wilt thou turn away the face of one captain of the least of my master's servants, and put thy trust on Egypt for chariots and for horsemen?

And am I now come up without the LORD against this land to destroy it? the LORD said unto me, Go up against this land, and destroy it.

Then said Eliakim and Shebna and Joah unto Rabshakeh, Speak, I pray thee, unto thy servants in the Syrian language; for we understand it: and speak not to us in the Jews' language, in the ears of the people that are on the wall.

But Rabshakeh said, Hath my master sent me to thy master and to thee to speak these words? hath he not sent me to the men that sit upon the wall, that they may eat their own dung, and drink their own piss with you?

Then Rabshakeh stood, and cried with a loud voice in the Jews' language, and said, Hear ye the words of the great king, the king of Assyria.

Thus saith the king, Let not Hezekiah deceive you: for he shall not be able to deliver you.

Neither let Hezekiah make you trust in the LORD, saying, The LORD will surely deliver us: this city shall not be delivered into the hand of the king of Assyria.

Hearken not to Hezekiah: for thus saith the king of Assyria, Make an agreement with me by a present, and come out to me: and eat ye every one of his vine, and every one of his fig tree, and drink ye every one the waters of his own cistern;

Until I come and take you away to a land like your own land, a land of corn and wine, a land of bread and vineyards.

Beware lest Hezekiah persuade you, saying, The LORD will deliver us. Hath any of the gods of the nations delivered his land out of the hand of the king of Assyria?

Where are the gods of Hamath and Arphad? where are the gods of Sepharvaim? and have they delivered Samaria out of my hand?

Who are they among all the gods of these lands, that have delivered their land out of my hand, that the LORD should deliver Jerusalem out of my hand?

But they held their peace, and answered him not a word: for the king's commandment was, saying, Answer him not.

Then came Eliakim, the son of Hilkiah, that was over the household, and Shebna the scribe, and Joah, the son of Asaph, the recorder, to Hezekiah with their clothes rent, and told him the words of Rabshakeh.

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Isaiah 36:12

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